Reebok, MBT, and Skechers are some of the more popular companies that offer the wildly popular toning shoes. These companies claim their shoes can help women everywhere get in shape and stay in shape. But can the shoes live up to their claims? Experts and testers agree the shoes have some exciting benefits, but they won't allow wearers to forgo the gym in order to meet fitness and strength goals.
What are Toning Shoes?
Toning shoes are shoes made with a deliberately unstable surface. The instability forces wearers to activate muscles they would not use otherwise, as they work to align and balance the body with each step. As a result, women who wear toning shoes expend more energy and produce greater effort to walk than if they were wearing traditional shoes. This increased muscle activity, claim manufacturers, has many benefits: it can burn more calories, improve posture, tone muscles, and aid in weight loss.
Reebok EasyTone Shoes
Reebok's EasyTone shoes were designed by a former NASA scientist and were inspired by the Bosu ball. EasyTones have air pods underneath the ball and heel of the shoe that create an unstable surface to walk on. Reebok contends the unstable surface forces wearers to activate the hamstrings, calves, and glutes in order to maintain balance. The result is 11% more hamstring and calf work and 28% more glute work than a wearer would get with traditional shoes. Reebok's EasyTone shoes retail at $100. Reebok also offers the EasyTone flip flop for $60.
MBT Shoes
MBT stands for Masai Barefoot Technology. MBT shoes, also know as anti-shoes, were inspired by barefoot runners in Africa and were made to simulate walking barefoot in the sand. The shoes have a curved wedge on the sole that creates an uneven platform for walking. MBT claims the sole and rocker of the shoe force walkers to engage core and leg muscles, thereby decreasing strain on the joints and tendons. Wearers, the company says, will experience 19% less pressure on the knee and hip joints. MBT shoes are the original and the most expensive of the toning shoes, retailing for about $250.
Skechers Shape-Ups
Skechers Shape-Ups are made with a technology similar to MBT shoes. The sole has a rolling bottom and contains a foam wedge made to mimic walking on the sand. The company claims it has introduced the first stylish shoe that will improve posture, cardiovascular health, and muscle tone. It also claims the shoes will reduce cellulite. Skechers offers a vast array of shoes using this exercise technology, including sneakers, Mary Janes, boots, and sandals. The shoes are more affordable than MBT shoes, retailing between $100 and $120.
Do Toning Shoes Work?
Dr. R Amadeus Mason, a Sports Medicine expert from Emory University was interviewed on CNN in August, 2009. These shoes, he says, are great for rehabilitating ankles and promoting good stance. He questions their ability to promote fitness or strength, though. Claims of getting in shape and staying in shape, he believes, are unlikely.
Vivian D'Agostino is a 39-year-old mother of two who lives in Livingston, New Jersey. D'Agostino is an avid exerciser who wears Nike cross-trainers, dance shoes, or MBT shoes, depending on her activities. D'Agostino says her MBT shoes help her walk with better posture and take pressure off her knee joints, which sometimes ache due to an old ski injury. She also says they force her to expend more energy. She did some of her own research with a heart rate monitor and found when she walked the mall with the MBT shoes on, she burned 300 more calories than with her traditional shoes.
D'Agostion agrees that toning shoes won't make you fit. "You just can't get enough of a workout," she says. Instead, D'Agostino says they work well as a complement to a workout. She wears them to increase the challenge when performing core exercises. Though MBTs may not get women in shape on their own, D'Agostino definitely believes they provide women with "a good start."
Toning Footwear Has Its Benefits
It is clear that toning shoes have some virtues. Their unstable surface activates muscles. Users find the shoes improve posture and reduce impact on joints. They can enhance workouts by creating extra challenge. Keep in mind, though, that the studies currently available are funded by manufacturers; there is little independent research on toning shoes. Use toning shoes as an additional tool to enhance workouts and mix things up. Don't lose the gym membership, though. Toning shoes have some exciting benefits, but they aren't magic.
Source:
CNN.com. " Shoes' Toning Claims Draw Experts' Doubts," accessed May 11, 2010.
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Christine Harmon - Christine Harmon is a published author, trainer, and mommy obsessed with health, fitness, and all that makes the body work ...
